Rock Bottom Remainders band - featuring famous authors - reaches its final chapter

Ask author and humorist Dave Barry about the origin of the Rock Bottom Remainders - a loosely affiliated rock band formed with fellow authors such as Stephen King, Amy Tan, Mitch Albom, Ridley Pearson and Scott Turow - and he immediately gives credit to Kathi Kamen Goldmark, who died of cancer on May 24.

In 1992, Goldmark was running a business that escorted authors to book signings and other events. She noticed that several of her author clients were rock music enthusiasts.

As Barry tells it, "She figured she could get them together one time to play in a band to raise money for charity. So she sent a fax around to them, and if you responded to the fax, you were in the band. You know, the same way the Beatles started."

The rest is history: The Remainders have played dozens of charity gigs over the years since.

Before Goldmark died, the band already had decided to call it quits this year. Their current "The Past Our Bedtime Tour" includes a show Friday at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, and a final appearance open only to convention-goers at the American Library Association gathering in Anaheim on Saturday.

"Kathi had hoped to be a part of our last shows, but, sadly, she didn't quite make it," Barry says. "She was a bright, funny person. We will be paying our respects to her during the shows, but in a fun way. She wouldn't have wanted some maudlin tribute."

Also appearing with the Remainders will be legendary Byrds guitarist and solo artist Roger McGuinn, who will play a set of his own songs backed by the band.

"Roger is a great person, a very sweet man," Barry said. "We love playing with him, and he seems to enjoy it. We are not that group that he once played with, but I think it's still a lot of fun for him."

When interviewed the day before, McGuinn called Barry a good guitar player.

Barry says the group is not intimidated by playing with such a superb musician.

"Ridley Pearson is an excellent bass player, and we use a professional drummer, so if you just turn the rest of our amps down to zero you have a good rhythm section, plus Roger on lead guitar, and it sounds great."

The Remainders play mostly 1950s and 1960s cover versions in their set.

"That's the new stuff to us," Barry responds. "It's the music we heard the last time we listened to the radio. We play simple songs that we remember from a long time ago. The fewer chords they have, the better. In fact, we're always looking for a song with no chords."

Will the band be playing anything special for its final two gigs?

"Well, I don't know if I can tell you this, it's pretty hush-hush," Barry said. "But there's a big rumor going around that we might attempt to have Stephen King sing the Trashmen's garage-rock classic, `Surfin' Bird.' How many chances will you have to hear that?"

Can we expect solo albums from all the Remainders, a la KISS in 1978, now that the band is breaking up?

Barry laughs. "Solo albums, uh, no, that's not gonna happen," he said. "The only way to hear us over the years has been in a live setting at a club or theater, and if you're hearing us live, there's a good chance you're drunk, so that helps our reputation out a lot."

Barry co-wrote his latest book, the novel "Lunatics," with Alan Zweibel, and has a comic novel set in Miami called "Insane City" due for released in the fall.

As for McGuinn, he came to his association with the Remainders in an unusual way.

"It happened about 12 years ago," the affable guitarist said in a phone conversation. "My wife, Camilla, and I are fans of the Florida author Carl Hiaasen and we noticed that he named the dog in his novel `Sick Puppies' McGuinn. So we went unannounced to a book signing he was doing in Orlando. `Can you sign this for us? By the way, my name's Roger McGuinn.' We talked, and Hiaasen told us about the Remainders and it sounded like fun."

McGuinn had played a similar role on some dates with a band made up of astronauts called Max Q, so when Barry asked him to join the Remainders for a couple of appearances, McGuinn was on board.

"I've been playing with them for these charity gigs three to four times a year, whenever my schedule permits," said the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. "They're definitely a real band, and playing with them is a lot of fun. Of course, they are all hilarious, maybe even funnier offstage than on."

McGuinn singles out Albom as a good player in addition to Barry and bassist Pearson.

What can concertgoers expect to hear during McGuinn's set?

"Mostly Byrds hits - "Mr. Tambourine Man," "So You Wanna be a Rock 'n' Roll Star," "Turn, Turn, Turn." I'll join them for their set as well. It's fun playing the old songs."

Is McGuinn surprised at the durability and longevity of the Byrds' music and that magical jangling Rickenbacker guitar sound?

"I'm thrilled by it," he said. "Fortunately, at the time, we weren't interested in churning out bubblegum hits, we wanted to make music of substance. I'm so happy that people are still discovering it and enjoying it."

When asked who he listens to when not working on Folk Den, his voluminous project gathering and rerecording folk songs for posterity, McGuinn names Wilco, the Jayhawks, Tom Petty and, surprisingly, Fountains of Wayne. "I really enjoy the wittiness of their lyrics and the Beatlesque melodies."